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Accurascale ACC3195

BR Class 08 - Freightliner/G&W Orange - 08785

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation

Manufacturer description

English Electric’s 1934 diesel-electric shunter No. 7079 for the LMS proved highly successful and led to further orders across all the “Big Four” railways. Its lineage fed directly into British Railways’ push, after 1948 nationalisation, to create a standardised large shunting locomotive. Drawing heavily on the LMS 350 hp design but incorporating improvements and flexibility for different engines and electrical equipment, the resulting BR standard 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter—later known as the Class 08—entered production in 1952 as No. 13000.

Between 1950 and 1962, 1,193 locomotives were built at several BR workshops, with multiple engine/electrical pairings and a higher-geared variant for the Southern Region that became the Class 09. The locomotives evolved through different liveries, safety markings and braking systems, and by the 1970s were allocated TOPS classifications: Class 08, 09 and 10. As yards declined in the 1980s–90s, the fleet shrank, though hundreds survived into privatisation.

Today, around 250 examples remain in service or preservation, with some still working for Freightliner and others being converted for modern green traction, proving the enduring flexibility of the original design.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Accurascale Class 08 Freightliner/G&W Orange 08785 Diesel Shunter Locomotive is a ready‑to‑run model that represents the British Rail Class 08 shunter from the period of initial privatisation. The model is produced under part number ACC3195 and includes interior lighting.

The range, marketed as the “Accuragronk” series, also covers the Class 10, which features the distinctive Blackstone power unit and GEC electrical equipment, and the low‑profile Class 08/9 shunters that were modified at Landore Depot in 1986 for operation on the height‑restricted Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line in Wales. These variants have not previously been available in ready‑to‑run form.

Technical details include a large‑diameter coreless motor paired with a helical gearbox, providing smooth power delivery and realistic slow‑speed shunting performance. Each locomotive is fitted with a PowerPack/Stay‑Alive capacitor for uninterrupted running, an ESU LokSound 5 decoder with twin “sugar cube” speakers, and full directional fibre‑optic and LED lighting that covers marker lights, high‑intensity lights, flashing beacons and individual cab lighting. The chassis and underframe are die‑cast metal, while the body and cab are made of ABS with metal and wire detailing appropriate to the era.

Accuracy has been ensured through extensive survey work across the United Kingdom, including access to Freightliner Group operations at Southampton Terminal and visits to preservation sites in County Durham, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Kent, East Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire. This collaboration guarantees a faithful recreation of operational details for the entire shunter family.